Nine Months
by MoreBonesPlz
Summary: Booth and Brennan are expanding their family. Here's one take on how that may have come to be plus a series of chronological little vignettes on what it might be like for them the second time around. Mostly just fluffy goodness. Generally planning one chapter for each month of Brennan's pregnancy, although already know I won't follow that exactly.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing _Bones_ related except my imagination.

* * *

_Just a few more hours and I'll be home_ she thought tiredly as she stuffed her carry-on bag in the overhead bin before dropping down into her first class seat. After eight days of being hustled from one book signing event to another, bouncing from one small town to the next with a manic driver who hadn't seemed to understand, or care about, basic driving protocols, she was exhausted.

There was a time in her life when spending eight days in Argentina would've been a treat she would have thoroughly enjoyed. It still would be, under different circumstances. She would have loved getting out to walk around the small towns and spending her days talking to the inhabitants about their lives, just generally studying a culture that was different from hers. But no time for that on this trip. Her publicist had put together a grueling schedule which had barely left her enough time between events to learn the name of the next destination let alone allowing her the time to immerse herself in the native culture and just _absorb_ the local day-to-day happenings occurring around her.

Brennan closed her eyes and rested her head against the cushioned seatback, trying to relax and unwind as the remaining passengers slowly boarded the plane, battling to fit their assorted bags and goodies in the too small overhead bins before settling into their own seats.

Her head hurt. The kind of ache that felt like her skull was being slowly but steadily squeezed in a vice. A low, constant throbbing pain on all sides and the analgesics she'd popped a little earlier didn't seem to be helping noticeably. It was making her cranky and she just wanted to be home. She slowly rolled her head around in circles and from side-to-side, trying to relieve some of the tension gathered in her neck.

She missed Booth . . . and Christine . . . her work at the lab . . . and Booth. She'd been on other trips by herself since they first got together, a couple were even longer than this one, and while she always missed him, it had never seemed quite like this before. She felt an almost visceral yearning to get back to him.

She'd spent a good portion of every day on this trip wishing she could just look up and find him standing there, that goofy charm smile he always flashed at her when he was trying to manipulate her into doing something on his face. More often than not, he'd get his way when he gave her that smile, even though she knew exactly what he was doing. That hopeful grin on his face, the twinkle in his eye – it was quite effective at getting her to yield to his will, regardless of whether or not whatever he was asking for was logical or in keeping with her own wishes. She smiled softly to herself, picturing his grinning face in her mind. Even before they were a couple, she'd been a sucker for that smile.

She was looking forward to feeling his arms around her again. She missed the way he held her, and touched her, both his unconscious casual touches and his more deliberate, intimate ones. She wanted to be able to feel the warmth of his bare skin against hers. She wanted to hear his heart beating reassuringly under her ear as she snuggled into him with her head on his chest. She wanted to be able to taste his mouth on hers, in the morning lightly tinged with the flavor of coffee and at bedtime with a hint of mint after brushing his teeth. She missed his smell on the sheets she slept on at night.

Yes, she'd spent nights away from him before, but this was the first time she'd left him since he'd been released from prison – a period of time during which every day that passed increased her fear that she wouldn't get him back again. This was the first time she'd not been able to touch him and assure herself that he was there, safe and strong, alive and well. The first time she had to satisfy herself for so long with only conversations on a telephone - no opportunity to look into the depths of his warm, brown eyes and see the love she felt for him reflected back at her. The first time she'd let someone or something else separate them, even though she'd vowed _Never again_.

She hated it. She felt incomplete.

Empty.

Miserable.

Alone.

Just that morning, she'd told Sabrina, her publicist that, in the future, she wanted accommodations made to allow her family to travel with her when she has to travel to promote her books. If her publisher didn't like that, then she'd just stop traveling all together. She wasn't going to allow anyone the power to separate her from him again. After all, she'd reasoned to Sabrina, as successful as this trip had been, she was sure that having Booth, aka "Agent Andy" along, would have made it an even bigger triumph. It was largely due to Booth's popularity in Argentina that this whole book promotional trip came about anyway.

* * *

_* FLASHBACK *_

"_So, Dr. Brennan, did you have a pleasant honeymoon?" Sabrina had asked her when they met for a business luncheon shortly after she and Booth returned from their Argentinian vacation._

"_Oh yes. It was quite pleasant and mostly adhered to the stereotypical societal norms for honeymoon behavior. We relaxed by the pool, did some sight-seeing, drank copious amounts of alcohol, engaged in frequent sessions of coitus, and assisted the local authorities in identifying a murderer. I found it all very enjoyable."_

"_A murderer? You got sucked into a murder investigation while on your honeymoon?"_

"_I know. Fascinating, isn't it?" Brennan responded before continuing on to give the publicist an overview of who the victim was, why he'd been killed, and how she and Booth had aided in the investigation._

_Sabrina, who'd worked with Brennan long enough now to accept that the things which she found interesting or enjoyable most other people would find . . . odd and possibly . . . disturbing, was still a little aghast that she'd gotten herself embroiled in a murder investigation while on her honeymoon._

"_For goodness sake, darling. How did the authorities even find you down there in order to request your help?"_

"_Oh. I took Booth to see the central morgue in Buenos Aires one afternoon when we got a little antsy after sitting around the pool for too long. I noticed the bones of someone who had died recently mixed in with a pile of significantly older bones and offered to help determine what they were doing there. I have a standing invitation with the Argentinian government to provide assistance in identifying remains so getting access to the case files was really quite easy."_

"_Well, what about Agent Booth's participation? The FBI wouldn't have any jurisdiction down in South America, so how did he get involved?"_

_Brennan chuckled ruefully. "You should appreciate this one, Sabrina. It wasn't actually FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth they wanted helping them, it was the super suave and talented Agent Andy Lister." She shook her head, still somewhat befuddled about how that aspect had played out. "Apparently, my books are quite popular down there, but the people are absurdly fascinated with the Agent Andy character - more than anything else. The stories must lose something in the translation to Spanish as the readers seemed to hardly pay attention to the science and forensics at all. Anyway, the local authorities decided that Booth __**was**__ Agent Andy and they treated him like he was some sort of a celebrity crime-solving superhero, which is ridiculous of course." Brennan ended her explanation with a snort. "They were thrilled to have his help and invited him along to participate in the investigation."_

"_Hmmmm. Your books are quite popular down there you say? And the men especially relate to Agent Andy?" and just like that, Brennan could see the metaphoric wheels starting to spin in Sabrina's mind._

* * *

Sure enough, Sabrina had contacted Brennan a couple months later after doing some sales research and marketing analysis and tried to convince Brennan to agree to a book tour in Argentina. At the time, Brennan wasn't sure whether or not they might be moving from DC to Germany as it appeared Booth was in line for a promotion at the FBI and she had put off committing to a specific time frame for the trip until Booth's career situation settled down. Then, Booth had unjustly been incarcerated in a federal prison for a few months for challenging a ring of corrupt officials and there was no way Brennan would agree to leave him, or Christine, until that mess was sorted out. So, now, even though a fair bit of time had passed since their honeymoon, she'd finally found herself back in Argentina on a whirlwind book tour cooked up by her publicist as a result of some casual comments she'd made about Agent Andy's popularity over lunch one day over a year ago.

At this point, she just wanted to get back home again. All the other passengers had finally found their seats and the plane was pulling away from the gate and headed to the runway. She felt simultaneously hot and chilled. And sticky. And achy. And her stomach was starting to feel a little off-kilter and crampy. None of which boded well for the long flight home.

As soon as the plane was airborne, she found herself making a mad dash for the bathroom.

Two hours into the flight, and four bathroom visits later, she reluctantly acknowledged to herself that Dr. Temperance Brennan, who was almost abnormally healthy most of the time and had traveled to many exotic destinations in the past with no problems, had fallen victim to Montezuma's Revenge.

* * *

**A/N:** _Should have another chapter up in a few days, but probably won't post this story line as frequently as I've done others in the past as I want to see how they deal with baby #2 on the show and work in parallel with TPTB, at least to some extent. Promise to try not to leave you hanging too long though._


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing _Bones_ related except my imagination.

* * *

"Ow" she yelped as Christine's head knocked her in the chest, causing a sudden and sharp pain to explode in her breast. "Please settle down Christine. We won't be here very long." Brennan chastised her daughter as she reached into her purse and pulled out one of Christine's current favorite books, _The Paper Bag Princess_ by Robert Munsch. Taking a deep breath to regain her patience, she spoke more softly to her daughter. "Here. Let's read while we wait."

Brennan and Christine had stopped off to pick up some Thai food for dinner on their way home and were currently waiting for the take-out order to be ready. As was often the case with small children, it didn't matter that there were several vacant seats to be had in the entry foyer of the little restaurant, Christine had taken up residence on her mother's lap, but was squirming and fidgeting as though she had the proverbial ants in her pants. Brennan carefully tucked Christine against her chest and opened the book to read the story about the brave, smart, and resilient Princess Elizabeth who challenges a dragon in order to rescue her fiancé, Prince Ronald, from the dragon's evil clutches after he attacked her castle, burning all her clothing, and forcing her to dress herself in a paper bag.

While part of her mind was occupied with reading the story to Christine, another part of her mind was thinking about the sudden radiating pain she'd felt when Christine banged into her breast a few minutes earlier. It wasn't a normal reaction. She could still feel a residual tingle lingering where Christine bumped her.

During the previous evening's lovemaking with Booth, she'd noticed a distinct heightened sensitivity in her breasts as he'd fondled her nipples and laved her chest with sucking kisses, but in the heat of the moment, she'd simply attributed it to Booth possibly being a little more aggressive than usual, or her extreme arousal, or maybe a combination of the two. Now she was questioning whether that was the correct interpretation of the data.

Throughout the day today, she'd been conscious of an unusual tenderness which had made itself known anytime something had brushed or pressed against her chest, such as when she picked up a stack of files or held a bone drawer in her arms, pressed against her chest. The only other time she could ever recall that her breasts had been this sensitive and tender was when she'd been pregnant with Christine.

And, she was now four days past her due date for her period, which was not typical for her.

But it didn't make sense. She was on the pill. And she never forgot to take one. Booth would tell anyone who asked that she was a "Type A" personality about that kind of thing, which she understood to indicate she was very structured to the point of being a little bit anal retentive even. Forgetting something like taking her medication just simply didn't happen with her.

Of course, no birth control was 100% effective and Booth . . . well, Booth was an ideal male for propagating the species. When they'd tested his semen a few years earlier, his potency had been scientifically confirmed. No issues there.

"Mommy, why isn't Prince Ronald happy to see Princess Elizabeth after she gets rid of the dragon?" Christine asked her mother.

"Well, Prince Ronald thinks that a Princess needs to wear pretty clothes. Since Elizabeth is only wearing a paper bag, he doesn't think she makes a very good princess."

"But she beat the dragon and saved him and now he's not being very nice to her."

"That's true. Prince Ronald doesn't understand that it's the things that we say and do which prove what type of person we are, not what we look like or how we dress."

"Well, he's just stupid."

Silently agreeing with her daughter, Brennan made a mental note to contact her OB/Gyn in the morning and see if she could get an appointment to confirm whether what she was starting to suspect was in fact accurate.

* * *

"Dr. Brennan? You're next. Follow me, please."

Brennan stood up from her seat in the waiting room and followed the nurse back into the bowels of the medical office.

"Go ahead and remove your shoes, then step on this scale for us so we can record your weight" the nurse directed her. Brennan did as she was instructed, then followed the nurse into an examination room.

"Have a seat while I take your blood pressure and your temperature."

After the nurse had collected the routine information, she turned and informed her patient "Dr. Taylor will be with you shortly," before turning and leaving Brennan on her own in the exam room.

Left alone in the small exam room with little to distract her, Brennan's thoughts drifted to the reason behind this doctor's visit. She was fairly certain now that she was indeed pregnant, and that this appointment would only confirm her suspicions. In the several days that had passed since she first called to schedule an appointment and now, she had paid closer attention to her body while simultaneously trying not to think too hard about the implications. She still hadn't started her period yet. Her breasts were still extremely tender and they felt fuller to her, heavier. There was a somewhat consistent but very subtle sensation in them, almost like a mild tingling or a gentle burning internal heat. Not unpleasant and not really noticeable unless she was paying attention, but pervasive none the less.

After a quick knock, the door opened and Dr. Judith Taylor, an elegantly slender woman in her mid-fifties, entered the room.

"Well, good morning Temperance. To what do we owe the pleasure of this visit? Your annual exam was just a few months ago, so I assume something else has brought you here today."

Brennan liked Dr. Taylor and viewed her as a friend and colleague in addition to her doctor. As with all doctors, Brennan had done her research before selecting her as a health care provider and Dr. Taylor was a highly regarded professional in her field as well as positively reviewed by her patients. Her manner was calm yet attentive. She spoke plainly to Brennan and didn't try to water down her exam findings. She answered Brennan's numerous questions clearly and concisely, conveying her knowledge of her subject matter through the thoroughness of her responses. Brennan had even called her on occasion for her insight on professional matters related to bodies that had come through the Jeffersonian from time to time.

"Judy. It's good to see you again. I came in today because I suspect I may be pregnant again and I'm looking for confirmation."

"Did you take a home pregnancy test?"

"No. I figured that whatever the results were from a home test, I wouldn't trust them until I saw you anyway and, while I know it's not rational, I just thought that having that information and not trusting it would make me more anxious, not less. So, here I am."

Scanning through the files on her computer tablet for a moment, Dr. Taylor commented "I didn't realize you and Seeley were working on expanding your family, Temperance. I would've expected you of all people to mention that and ask for a prenatal vitamin prescription."

"Well, we aren't . . . weren't anyway. What . . . what I mean is that if I am in fact pregnant, it was unplanned."

"Aaaah. I see. Did you forget to take your pills at any point?"

"No. Never."

"Hmmm. Been under any extreme stress lately? Or made any large scale changes to your usual diet? Or lifestyle?"

"No. Other than a recent promotional book trip to Argentina, things have been fairly normal, possibly even a little calmer than usual."

"Oh? When was your trip to Argentina? I've been wanting to get down to Buenos Aires myself and check it out as it sounds like a fun place to go."

"It's a beautiful country, but I didn't get to do much sightseeing on this trip. All business this time. I was down there for about a week. Left about 5 weeks ago and returned about 4 weeks ago. I did get hit with a relatively unpleasant bout of Montezuma's revenge at the end of my trip which took several days to recover from, but the only medicines I took were over the counter types which I didn't believe interfered with the efficacy of birth control pills."

"No. Birth control pills are essentially hormone supplements and shouldn't be affected by standard over the counter medications. Tell me, when you had your bout of traveler's diarrhea, or Montezuma's revenge as you called it, did you have issues with nausea or frequent loose stools?"

Scrunching up her nose in distaste at the memory, Brennan answered. "Yes. For the first couple days, I had difficulty keeping any solid foods in my stomach and my bowels didn't settle down for several days. I essentially missed the entire first week of work following my return from Argentina." That had been unpleasant for anyone that got within scowling distance of her. Brennan hated missing work and she hated being ill, making her an extremely grumpy patient. She had to admit that she had not been much fun to be around for a few days (understatement), but, once she finally felt better, she thought she did a pretty good job of expressing her appreciation to Booth for his forbearance. He certainly seemed to enjoy it anyway.

"Um hum. And when was the first day of your last period?"

"About five and a half weeks ago. It started just a couple days before I left on my trip."

Nodding her head in acknowledgement of everything she'd been told, Dr. Taylor said "Ok. Here's what we're going to do. I'll have the nurse come in to take a blood sample and she'll also give you a cup for a urine sample. We'll test the urine sample here and now, but the blood sample will have to be sent to the lab and we won't have those results for another 24-48 hours. While the over the counter medications should not have interfered with your birth control, your nausea and diarrhea may have. It takes approximately two hours for the pills to dissolve in your stomach, so if you vomited shortly after taking your pills, they would have been ineffective. Additionally, when your bowels are distressed enough to have diarrhea, medications will often times be flushed through your system before they can be absorbed. This too can obviously impact the effectiveness of the medication. Generally speaking, 3 to 4 loose bowel movements in a 24 hour period can be enough to render certain medicines, like birth control pills, ineffective and from what you've described to me, it sounds like you were experiencing a flux with at least that frequency. Since you indicated this occurred for several days, your entire cycle would have been disrupted."

After a little more discussion, Dr. Taylor left the room and the nurse came back in for the blood and urine samples. About 15 minutes later, Dr. Taylor came back into the room, a cheery smile on her face.

"Well Temperance, I've asked them to label the blood sample as 'high priority' so hopefully we'll get the results back tomorrow, but based on the results from your urine test, I believe congratulations are in order. I'll call you either way as soon as I have the blood test results but you may want to make an appointment with the receptionist on your way out for a follow up appointment about 6 weeks from now."

* * *

**A/N:** _Next chapter's almost done. Shouldn't be long until I post._


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing _Bones_ related except my imagination.

* * *

**A/N:** _Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, or followed this story. It appears folks are enjoying the premise and your feedback is always appreciated. I had told some folks I'd get this chapter out over the last weekend, but I didn't like what I had put together and ended up re-writing a big chunk. Still lukewarm on it. However - to those who expected it sooner, sorry for the delay._

* * *

"Thanks for the call, Judy." Brennan said, right before hanging up the phone. It was official. She was pregnant. Based on the HCG levels in her blood analysis, Dr. Taylor estimated she was between five and six weeks along, which was consistent with when her last period started.

Brennan sat at her desk feeling somewhat dazed by the news. Intellectually, she knew all the evidence had been pointing to her being pregnant and she had generally expected the blood work to confirm what her intuition had already led her to suspect. However, it hadn't really hit her until that last piece of data, the blood work, was confirmed positive and suddenly, she wasn't sure how she felt about it. Up until now, she'd avoided thinking about what it would mean, unconsciously holding on to the possibility that it could be a false alarm.

Brennan had debated telling Booth about her suspicions as soon as they had formed, but had chosen to wait until she knew for certain. He'd undoubtedly be annoyed with her for that, at least for a brief moment, but it just wasn't that simple. Since she'd had her epiphany while sitting at the Thai restaurant with Christine a week ago, her thoughts and emotions had been in utter turmoil. _Was she or wasn't she? Was it a good thing or a bad thing? How would another baby affect their lives? Would Booth be happy?_ She didn't want to get Booth all wound up about a potential pregnancy if it turned out to be a false alarm. As irrational as it was, somehow speaking the words out loud, giving voice to her suspicions, would make it seem so much more real and she had needed confirmation before being able to accept it or talk about it.

In some ways, she felt a sense of déjà vu with her first pregnancy. She'd been caught off guard that time too. When she'd finally had to abandon her state of denial and confront the fact she was pregnant almost five years ago, she'd been conflicted – a part of her excited at the prospect of motherhood and finally having someone in her life she could love unconditionally, while another part of her was unsure of what would happen to her blossoming relationship with Booth and how being a single parent would impact her career. Even after she'd confessed her pregnancy to Booth and realized how happy and supportive he was, she'd struggled for months with insecurities regarding their relationship and how much of his affection towards her was because of who she was versus because of the baby.

This time, she was conflicted for a whole other set of reasons. She was reasonably certain Booth would be supportive again. He was, after all, a man who put a high value on family and he had often remarked that having a child is always a good thing. They were married now, their relationship stable, and she was confident that Booth's love for her was genuine, not just a reflection of what he felt for his progeny. But, now that she'd experienced motherhood first hand, she appreciated better what a great responsibility it was and she was uncertain of the wisdom of her and Booth bringing another child into this world. Since Christine's birth, she and Booth had been stalked by murderers, they'd both been shot at more than once, and their home had been destroyed. He'd been locked up in prison and she'd had to flee her job, her friends, and her home, to prevent being locked up. Their lives invited danger . . . uncertainty . . . and at times, an uncontrollable level of chaos. Was it really fair to bring an innocent child who couldn't protect him or herself into that environment?

Despite her reservations, from the first moment the thought had crossed her mind that she might be pregnant, she'd also found a part of herself secretly longing for it to be true, which in itself had stunned her. She and Booth had never really discussed the possibility of more children until recently when they had agreed to donate all of Christine's baby things to Daisy Wick although that had been so brief, it didn't really qualify as a conversation.

"_Hey Bones. I was thinking. Since we don't really have a need any more for Christine's baby items, what do you think about giving them to Daisy for little Seeley-Lance?"_

"_I think that's a very good idea, Booth." _

It was more a mutual acknowledgement that neither of them anticipated having another child than a discussion.

She and Booth loved each other and they loved Christine. In the past, when Brennan took the time to reflect on them as a family, she was usually focused on how grateful she was to have both Booth and Christine in her life; thinking about how much they enriched her and how she'd almost missed the opportunity to share her life with them. She didn't spend time thinking about ways to change or expand their little family unit. But now? Now that she'd spent the last week thinking about the possibilities of another precocious blue-eyed little girl or possibly a little brown-eyed dare-devilish boy she was happy and excited, but also scared and uncertain, which ultimately left her feeling overwhelmed and confused.

It had been tough keeping her thoughts and feelings from Booth for the last week. She's gotten used to openly sharing her thoughts and feelings with him and telling him whenever something weighed heavily on her mind. She was fairly certain he knew she was grappling with something but, so far, he'd been giving her the time and space she needed to sort through her thoughts and emotions on her own, although she could tell by the way he'd watch her sometimes that he was starting to get anxious.

Brennan looked at the clock and noticed it was still early, barely two o'clock. Her ability to focus on work was essentially ruined for the remainder of the day and she suspected that Angela would figure out something was going on the minute she saw her again, since she couldn't seem to control the roiling emotions she felt bubbling up inside right now, so she decided to take the rest of the day off. Maybe do something special to break the news to Booth when he came home tonight.

Just a few quick items to take care of before she walked out the door.

Reaching for her cell phone, she hit speed dial #3 and listened to the ringing on the other end.

"Hey honey. What's up? Is everything okay?" her dad asked when he finally answered her call.

"Hey Dad. Everything's fine. I was wondering whether you could babysit Christine this afternoon and keep her overnight tonight for us."

"Absolutely, Tempe. You know I love it when I get to keep my little Princess for a sleep over. You and Booth have a case that's going to keep you at work late tonight?"

"No. Not this time. Actually, I'm going to leave work early today, but I thought Booth and I could use a night alone without any interruptions or distractions. We've some things we need to discuss and it would be easier with Christine away for the night."

"Things to discuss, huh?" Max wasn't sure whether that meant she was pissed at Booth over something and didn't want Christine around when they had it out or whether that meant she was planning to turn their home into some sort of kinky sex dungeon for the night, but he figured either way, he was probably better off not asking too many questions and simply agreeing to rescue his sweet granddaughter from her parents for the night. "Well, don't you worry about a thing honey. I'll take care of picking up Christine tonight and I'll drop her back off at the Jeffersonian day care tomorrow morning. She'll be fine here with me. You and Booth just do what you need to do. Just remember, don't take any incriminating photographs."

"Photographs? . . . oh, you mean of Booth and I _in flagrante delicto_. No, taking salacious photos is not in my plans for tonight. So, I've some other minor things to take care of before I sneak out of here, then I'll grab Christine from daycare and head home to pack an overnight bag for her. I should have her ready to go in about an hour. How's that work for you?"

"Just fine, Honey. I'll swing by and pick her up. Don't forget to pack some of those kiddy movies she likes to watch."

"Okay. Thanks Dad. I'll let you go now. I love you."

"I love you too, sweetheart. Good bye." Max replied, wondering what could be happening that would actually get his brilliant, dedicated scientist of a daughter to voluntarily leave work early on a week day.

Before tackling the next item on her list, letting Cam know she would be out the rest of the day, Brennan went ahead and gathered up her things so she could make a quick getaway. Once her computer was shut down and her messenger bag was packed up, she put on her jacket and dug her car keys out to where they'd be easily accessible. Then she sent Cam a quick text.

_Taking the rest of the afternoon off to address some personal issues. Be back tomorrow._

As soon as she finished typing, she simultaneously hit send while she started walking out the door. As hoped, she made it to her car and managed her escape without any interruptions or delays.

* * *

Booth sat at his desk reviewing the case file for a couple of over-eager, just out of high school, arsonists that had been plaguing the towns near where West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania all kind of came together – or at least were in close proximity. The case was being handled by another junior agent under his supervision but, as the head of Major Crimes, it was Booth's job to review the case files from his unit for completeness before they were passed along to the Justice Department. Caroline would put his ass in a sling if he let something get sent to her offices that didn't meet her exacting standards and he had no desire to get on her bad side.

As soon as he finished this file, he was going to call it quits for the day and go home. Something had been bothering Bones for the last week or so – she had that slightly distracted, pensive air about her – and Booth figured it was probably time to see if he couldn't push a little harder and get her to talk about whatever it is. So far, she'd been evading the gentle probes he'd put out there to try and get her to open up, but he wasn't sure how much longer he could handle sitting on the sidelines, watching her struggle with some unknown issue.

Honestly, he was a little scared. Whatever was on her mind had to be something big and he was half expecting her to tell him she'd been offered a position in the remote regions of outer Timbuktu to study some ancient remains and that she wanted to take off for six months to dig in the dirt or something along those lines.

After all they'd been through the last few years, he didn't really think she'd be able to just walk away from him or Christine for any significant length of time, but he couldn't come up with any other explanation for her recent behavior. He'd thought about how to handle a situation like that a lot over the last few days and he'd decided that if she wanted to be part of an extended dig, he'd be supportive of her choice IF, and this was the catcher, IF Booth and Christine could go with her.

A little less than a year ago, Bones had been prepared to walk away from her job at the Jeffersonian and several of her other local commitments in order to follow Booth to a new job in Germany. That job opportunity had fallen through in the most horrific manner, but the point was Bones had been willing to make the sacrifice on his behalf. He could offer her no less if something came up in her career that meant she needed to relocate, at least for a little bit.

Booth had confessed some of his experiences in prison to Bones, but he'd never revealed to her the constant, soul-eating fear he'd carried with him that he'd never get out and get to hold her or Christine again. He'd been terrified that the bastards who had framed him would go after her too, and he wouldn't be there to protect her. He didn't think he could survive without her in his life and he wasn't willing to let her be away from him for any length of time ever again, even if that meant he had to literally follow her to the ends of the earth. To him, she was worth it.

On that note, Booth decided it was time to head home. He'd be a little on the early side getting there tonight, but he was determined to make sure she knew how much he loved her, that she could trust him with whatever was on her mind, and that he would do whatever was required to be there for her. She was his partner and they were a team. In all things.


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing _Bones_ related except my imagination.

* * *

As Booth pulled into the driveway of his home, he was surprised to note that Brennan's car was already ensconced in the garage. Getting out of his SUV, he reached out to run his hand over the hood of her car as he walked past and noted the metal was cool to the touch. Hmmm, Bones had been home for a while which was oddly disturbing as she rarely came home early.

"Bones?" Booth tentatively called out his wife's name as he entered the house, a little nervous about what might be waiting for him inside. "You in here Bones?"

"I'm back here Booth," he heard the responding voice floating out to him from the vicinity of his bedroom and he headed in that direction.

When Booth entered their bedroom, it was empty, but he saw the clothes his wife had been wearing earlier in the day laid across the foot of the bed and heard noise coming from the adjoining bathroom through the partially closed door. Booth emptied his pockets placing his keys, badge, poker chip, and wallet on his dresser before hanging his shoulder holster on the back of the closet door and kicking off his shoes, wriggling his toes in the plush bedroom carpeting. It always felt so good to free his damaged feet from his dress shoes at the end of the day.

Poking his head into the master bathroom, he discovered Brennan residing in the bathtub, surrounded by bubbles, with one long, slender leg raised up to the rim as she ran a razor blade through the creamy lather on her calf and shin. The room smelled faintly of the vanilla and citrus bath oil she occasionally used and the only light was provided by a wall sconce over the sink plus a few candles she'd strategically located around the tub. Her hair was gathered in a loose knot on top of her head with a handful of tendrils escaping here and there resulting in a sexy, slightly mussed look. Her moist skin glistened in the muted lighting she had provided and she was quietly humming along to a sultry jazz tune playing softly out of a small portable radio she'd placed off to the side of the bathtub.

It was the simple intimacy of moments like these that Booth treasured as a privilege of being married. In his opinion, she never looked more beautiful – relaxed, nonchalantly attending to her toilette, and unselfconscious about her nudity as her full breasts poked through the bubbles, hovering slightly above the water line. Such an inconsequential thing, but he doubted there was another person alive who had ever had the pleasure of watching her this way and he felt his chest constrict with a sense of satisfied longing for her that was so much more encompassing than just lust. _My wife. Just mine_, he thought with possessive pride.

"Hey," he spoke just barely over a whisper as he pushed the door open more fully so he could lean against the jamb, arms crossed, and admire her bathing, the ambiance of the room making him feel rather mellow.

Brennan smiled, tilting her head in his direction, and looking at him briefly from the corners of her eyes. "Hey yourself. Your home earlier than I expected."

"Yeah. I got to a good stopping point at work and figured what the hell, you know? It'll all still be there tomorrow. How about you? You're uh, you're home early today as well. Everything okay?" He hoped he didn't sound overly concerned as he posed the question that had been haunting him more and more each day over the last week.

Brennan's lips curved upward like she was enjoying whatever thoughts were running through her mind as she continued to focus her gaze on the leg she was currently shaving. "Mmmm, yes." After a pause and a final swipe of the razor blade, she gave Booth a quick, teasing glance, her eyes twinkling merrily as she checked him out. "I just thought I'd come home early for a change and prepare to seduce my husband when he gets home, but it appears I've been caught in the act of getting ready so I may have to improvise."

Booth, who'd been semi-erect since entering the bathroom, felt his arousal suddenly grow a little heavier. "I think your improvisation technique is working pretty well so far," he choked out, feeling the smile that she found so charming spreading across his face. Reaching up to loosen his tie, he asked "Where's Christine?"

"With Max." She gave him a direct, heated look. "All night."

On that note she popped the plug in the bathtub and stood up letting the water and bubbles cascade down her body as the contents of the tub slowly swirled down the drain. "Dinner's cooking, but won't be ready for at least another 30 minutes," she informed him.

Booth straightened in the doorway and started loosening the buttons of his shirt as Brennan stepped out of the tub and sauntered towards him, heedless of the trail of puddles on the floor. Leaving no room for the Holy Spirit between them, she wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him down for a deep, carnal kiss as she plastered her wet body to his. When they finally broke for air, Booth pushed all the way into the room and hoisted her up, setting her on the bathroom counter as she wrapped her legs around his waist pulling him close.

"I think I really like it when you leave work early," he growled into her mouth, then proceeded to make love to her right then and there.

* * *

A little while later, Brennan was in the kitchen putting the final touches on the dinner she'd prepared when Booth wandered in having taken a shower himself following their late afternoon tryst.

"Mmm, smells good," he commented walking up to her and embracing her from behind.

Brennan leaned back into his arms for a moment, turning her head to give him a quick kiss. "So do you."

Booth released her and grabbed a beer from the refrigerator before walking to the far side of the kitchen counter and pulling up a bar stool to sit and chat with her while she pulled the casserole from the oven and finished mixing the salad she had made to accompany the meal.

"What's this?" he asked, reaching out and pulling a large folded piece of pale construction paper towards himself.

"Oh yes, that's a picture Christine made for you at daycare today. She asked me to give it to you before she and Max left for the night."

"Hey, would you look at that!" he exclaimed, studying the colorful assortment of Crayola crayon hieroglyphics. "These scribbles are almost starting to actually look like something we can recognize. I'm pretty sure these are supposed to be people."

Brennan came around the counter to stand next to him and look over his shoulder. "Yes. I believe she was trying to draw a picture of the three of us and the picnic we took last weekend." Pointing at the drawing, she continued. "See this black blob here is your truck, and this is the big tree we spread the blanket under, and I think that is supposed to be the lake where you two fed bread crumbs to the fish."

"Wow. This is amazing. Our little girl's growing up so fast, isn't she?"

"Yes, she is."

"No longer a little baby," he mused.

Brennan chuckled. "Before you know it, she'll be dating."

"What? No way. Christine is not going to start dating until she's like thirty . . . maybe not even then."

"Don't be ridiculous Booth. You know she's not going to wait that long. Look at Parker. He's almost as old now as you were the first time you had sexual intercourse you know and we know from Rebecca that he's expressed interest in a few of his female classmates. I assume your partner your first time was a girl approximately the same age as you were."

"Stop. Just stop. You can't use the word 'sex' in the same sentence as when you're talking about our kids."

"Booth" she said in that tone of voice that was like a verbal eye roll, letting him know she thought he was being unrealistic. Not that he cared. The words _Christine_ and _sex_ did not belong anywhere close to one another. "Why are you so skittish about talking about sex and your children at the same time? The sense of euphoria a person experiences as their body is flooded with chemicals is not only pleasant during coitus, but there are many beneficial side effects that can produce a lingering sense of well-being long after the sexual encounter has concluded. The physical release of tension and stress. The emotional connection with another human being. I know for a fact that you happen to really enjoy sex. I do too. I always feel our sexual interactions reinforce and strengthen our emotional bonds, whether we're being soft and slow or a little more hard and fast, like earlier. Don't you want your children to be able to experience something like what we share with each other?"

"Well, yeah Bones, but not for a long long loooong time, okay. I mean, she's only five and I am not ready to think about that yet."

"Of course, when she's older. But it's my hope that someday she'll find a partner to share her life with that's as special to her as you are to me. I want her to be happy and I've learned from you that true happiness comes from having someone to share your experiences with. Besides," she said, nudging him on the shoulder with hers in an attempt to lighten the mood, "if you weren't so good at sex, you wouldn't have fathered three children of your own and we would have missed out on so much."

"Two."

"What?"

"You said I wouldn't have fathered _three_ children. I've only fathered two, Bones."

"Oh." Brennan bit her lip and reached out to stroke her fingers along the nape of his neck. "Maybe it would have been more accurate if I had said two-and-a-half."

Booth gave her that look he had perfected for those times when he didn't have a clue as to what she was talking about. "Two-and-a-half? How does someone father half a child Bones?"

Brennan couldn't help but smile. "How about fathered three, but only two are children? One's technically still a fetus."

Booth stared at her uncomprehendingly for almost a full five seconds before her words finally sank in and he registered what it was she was telling him.

"No," he said in joyful disbelief, reaching out and placing the palm of his hand gently on her belly. "You're . . . you're pregnant? You're sure?"

At her nod of confirmation, Booth pulled her into his embrace and gave her a very excited and enthusiastic kiss. He couldn't believe it. They hadn't been trying to expand their family and he hadn't ever expected to have any more children, but he instantly felt that this was _right_. It was perfect and he felt as though he was going to burst with love and happiness. He squeezed her to him one more time before leaning back on his stool and reaching down to stroke her stomach again.

"How'd this happen?" he asked reverently.

Brennan snorted. "I'd think you would know that by now Booth, especially in light of what we just did a little while ago in the bathroom."

He laughed and gave her a little swat on her backside. "You know what I mean."

Somehow, she had ended up standing in front of him, between his splayed thighs. She placed her hands on his waist and bussed him on the lips quickly. "Yes, I do. Best guess is that when I got sick after my trip to Argentina, it interfered with my birth control pills throwing my system out of whack. We haven't exactly been chaste, so . . . " she shrugged her shoulders to indicate the rest of the sentence was obvious and didn't need to be verbalized. "I'm about 6 weeks along."

"Wow. Another baby. When did you know?"

"I began to suspect it about a week ago, but didn't get in to the see the doctor until yesterday and I just got the official confirmation today."

He shook his head in amazed disbelief. "Why didn't you tell me? You're happy about this aren't you?"

"Yes, I am Booth, but I'm scared too."

Booth wrapped his arms around her, letting her rest her head on his shoulder. "Hey, I've got you Bones. There's nothing to be scared of. You'll do fine, just like last time, and I'll be here again with you every step of the way."

Brennan tucked her face in under his chin, drawing strength and comfort from his arms. "It's not being pregnant that I'm afraid of Booth. That part I'm looking forward to. It's bringing another life into this world that we're responsible for that scares me. Christine and I came so close to losing you twice this last year – once to those gunman who destroyed our home and again to the penal system. I was devastated without you and barely held it together for Christine's sake. I'm not sure how I'd manage if something were to happen to you again and I have yet another person whose welfare I'm responsible for alone. I love you Booth and I need you, but our careers frequently seem to put one or the other of us in danger and I'm just anxious about whether or not it's really fair to bring another baby into such a situation."

"Hey, Bones. I understand your concern. I do. You're the one who always reminds me that there are no guarantees in life, no matter what type of jobs we have. But we're not your parents and our kids aren't you and Russ. They're never going to be abandoned or left alone to fend for themselves. You know that right? I mean, even if something really bad were to happen to you and I, they've got a whole network of people who would make sure they were taken care of – Angela and Hodgins, Max, Russ and Amy, Jared and Padme. Even Cam. All those people would move heaven and earth if necessary to make sure our kids were okay if you and I couldn't be there for them. But none of that really matters anyway because you and I were meant to be together and we're going to be around for a long, long time to come. Got it?"

Brennan just nodded her head and held him tighter.

"What do you say we eat some of this delicious dinner you prepared and then spend the rest of the night in our bedroom, hmm?"

Brennan smiled as she pulled away and stood up straight. "Sounds like a good plan to me."


	5. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing _Bones_ related except my imagination.

**A/N:** _Just a short chapter to update the story. FF's seemed quieter lately._

* * *

Temperance Brennan lay on her back in bed, Booth's head resting on her chest as she idly toyed with the hair at the nape of his neck in the aftermath of their lovemaking and he lazily caressed her abdomen with his fingertips. Both partners were feeling lethargic and enjoying the rare opportunity to relax quietly together in the intimacy of their bed. Every now and then, he'd turn his head slightly and place a gentle kiss on her naked skin, more as an expression of affection than as a prelude to another round of sexual acrobatics.

"Booth?"

"Yeah Bones?"

"Would you mind terribly if we were to keep the fact that I'm pregnant just to ourselves for a little while longer?"

Booth raised his head to look at her, but didn't see anything revealing in her face. "Why's that? Are you concerned about the pregnancy? Did the doctor say something to worry you?"

"No, it's not that. The doctor indicated I appeared to be quite healthy but being pregnant when you're over 35 years old is considered a higher risk pregnancy and it's not uncommon for miscarriages to occur within the first trimester whatever your age. Things may not go as easily as last time now that I'm older. If something does go wrong, I don't want to have to deal with the explanations to and condolences from a slew of people."

Booth laid his head back down on her chest to resume his cuddling. "Whatever makes you happy Bones is okay with me."

"We didn't tell anyone for the first few months when we were pregnant with Christine either, remember?"

"Well, yeah. But I thought that was mostly because we were giving everyone time to adjust to the fact that we were finally together as a couple before dropping the bombshell about your pregnancy. We wanted people to understand we were having a baby because we were together and not think we were together because we were having a baby."

"That's true. It's kind of ironic that as much as our friends made comments over the years about the two of us belonging in a romantic relationship together, they all seemed rather surprised when we finally did incorporate a sexual component to our relationship together."

Booth snorted. "They were probably surprised by the fact that you couldn't keep your hands off me anytime we were in the same room together."

Brennan smacked him playfully on the shoulder for his remark. "What? I don't know what you're talking about."

"Hey, I wasn't complaining. I liked your hands on me. Still do." He said with a soft, suggestive smile.

"Yes, well . . ." she harrumphed. "As I was saying, I'd like to keep this between us. Except Angela. I don't think I can keep it from Angela."

"You think she'd get upset with you?"

"No . . . but she is my best friend and this seems like the kind of secret one should share with a best friend. Besides, I think she'd probably figure it out even if I don't say anything and who knows what she'll say or to who while she's speculating on it. Somehow Angela just always seems to _know_ things about me, whether I tell her or not. It's kind of scary sometimes to be honest. I think we'll have a better chance of keeping this quiet if I tell her than we will if I don't."

"She loves you Bones, so she watches out for you. She's a lot smarter than she gets credit for and she notices when something is off in your behavior. That's all."

"I'm very fortunate to have her as my friend."

They lay together quietly for several more moments before Booth piped up again. "What about Christine? You want to wait to tell her she's going to be a big sister too?"

"I think that would be best. It would be very confusing to her if we told her she was going to be a big sister and then something happened to the fetus and we had to go back and tell her she wasn't going to be a big sister after all."

"Yeah. I suppose that could be bad." Rubbing his hand gently over her abdomen, Booth couldn't stand the thought of something bad happening to this baby. He hadn't been expecting to have another child and hadn't even known about this one until a few hours ago, but he already felt so attached and so overwhelmed with love for his wife that he knew he'd be devastated if she were to miscarry. His protective instincts were already kicking in full force and he was determined to do everything in his power to keep them both safe from now on even though he knew that in reality, much of it was out of his control.

"Plus, children her age have no real grasp of time and telling her now that she'll be a big sister in another seven and a half months . . .uh, that's a long time for her to have to anticipate something patiently."

"Yeah Bones. I can see that. She's gonna be a great big sister though."

"When we do finally tell her, we'll have to find ways to reassure her that a new baby won't make us love her any less as well as find ways for her to feel like she's part of the pregnancy experience."

"Right there Bones. That's what makes you a great mom. Christine will do fine because you'll make sure of it. That's one of the many reasons I love you, you know?"

* * *

The next several days were extremely hectic at work and so it wasn't until over a week later that Brennan finally got around to speaking with Angela about her new secret. It was a beautiful spring day and Brennan asked Angela if she wanted to take a break with her and sit for a while in the Jeffersonian gardens. They stopped off in the cafeteria on their way outside and each grabbed a fruit smoothie to enjoy during their break.

Booth had his cosmic balance sheet and felt driven to capture murderers as atonement for the lives he's taken performing his duties. Similarly, in a manner of speaking, Brennan had her own version of a cosmic balance sheet she tried to maintain. Hers, however, was centered around relationships. Early on in her friendships with both Booth and Angela, they had each advised her that in order to establish meaningful emotional attachments with people, it was necessary to give a little of one's self in order to get a little back. Quid pro quo. It was a lesson she had taken to heart and ever since then, she had tried to ensure she did her part to maintain balance in her relationships – that she reciprocated with something of herself when someone shared something of themselves with her.

When Angela found out she was pregnant with Michael Vincent several years earlier, she had happily shared her secret with Brennan, even before telling Hodgins. While she'd never fully expressed it to Angela, that simple gesture had been very significant to Brennan. Not only had she been moved by the knowledge that Angela's affection for her was so strong that she considered them metaphoric sisters, but it had come at a time when Brennan was reeling from the discovery that Booth had found someone else to love and Angela's gesture of sorority had helped to anchor Brennan during an internal emotional maelstrom. Despite her proficiency with words, Brennan had never found a way to express to Angela how much the sharing of that confidence had helped her readjust to coming home.

However, when Brennan became pregnant with Christine, she and Booth had elected to keep the pregnancy quiet as long as possible so their friends would have time to adjust to the idea of Booth and Brennan being involved in an intimate relationship. Because of that, Brennan hadn't informed Angela that she was expecting a baby until she was a fair way along in the pregnancy and a small part of her had always felt as though she'd violated the quid pro quo friendship rule. Angela had never indicated any hurt or hard feelings over the matter, but Brennan still carried a small measure of guilt for not reciprocating and sharing her pregnancy news with Angela like Angela did with her.

This pregnancy gave her the opportunity to set that straight and even the balance in their friendship on that point.

Despite the fact that the sky was a clear blue with barely a cloud in sight, the temperature was warm enough to be pleasant without being stifling, and the plants and bushes in the park were exploding in a variety of colorful and sweet smelling blossoms, the grounds were not very crowded that afternoon. Brennan and Angela found a sunny bench to sit on that was secluded a little ways off the main path but afforded them a nice view of the extensive gardens.

They had barely sat down before Angela jumped in and demanded "Ok Sweetie. Time to spill. What's on your mind?"

Brennan frowned at Angela in bafflement. "How do you do that Ange? What makes you think there's something specific on my mind?" Brennan was genuinely curious. Even though she'd gotten much better at dealing with people with Angela and Booth's help, she was still stymied by Angela's almost clairvoyant ability to read her.

Angela gave her an _are-you-kidding-me_ look. "It's simple logical deduction Bren. _You_ invited _me_ to take a break outside the lab. That's out of character for you."

"But we often spend time together outside the lab. We'll grab coffee or a bite to eat at the diner. We'll visit the kids in daycare or take them to a park. We also go shopping together every now and then."

"That's all true Sweetie, but at least 95% of the time when we do those things, it's _me_ dragging _you_ out of the lab, not the other way around."

"Huh," Brennan responded. "I suppose I have to concede your point. I have gotten much better though in the last few years about leaving the lab and my other work behind at the end of the day. And, I rarely work weekends anymore unless we're in the middle of an investigation."

"Absolutely. I agree. For Booth and Christine, you're very willing to leave the lab and dead bodies behind."

"They're my family, Ange, and my first priority now. I'd do anything for them."

"I know Sweetie. And that's the way it should be. Now, since you asked me to join you out here on this lovely afternoon, why don't you tell me what's on your mind?"

Brennan smiled at Angela. "I'm pregnant again."

Angela's jaw dropped slightly in surprise before her face lit up with a huge smile. "Oh. That's so wonderful." Unable to contain her excitement for her friend, Angela grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her in for an enthusiastic hug. Leaning back, she peppered Brennan with questions. "So, when did this happen? How far along are you? Why didn't you tell me you were trying to get pregnant again? Does anyone else know?"

Laughing at her friend's obvious joy on her behalf, Brennan tried to answer. "Well, I can't tell you exactly when it happened. As you know, Booth and I enjoy a robust love life so it could have been any of a few different encounters, but it was sometime shortly after I returned from my trip to Argentina a couple months ago. The doctors estimate I'm a little over 7 weeks along now. Booth and I weren't actively trying to have another baby, it just sort of happened. Oh, and we'd like to keep quiet about it for a while longer but I wanted to share my news with you because this is important to me and so are you. Please don't tell anyone else for now."

"Oh." Angela clasped her hands together in front of her face and blinked to hold back the tears. "Oh, Bren. I'm just so happy for you."

The two friends held hands and leaned against each other, shoulder to shoulder, heads tilted together and spent the rest of their break sharing their mutual happiness over Brennan's news.

* * *

**A/N:** _Comments are appreciated. Thanks._


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N:** _Because we all could use a little fluffy goodness about now, right?_

* * *

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing _Bones_ related except my imagination.

* * *

Christine stood in the doorway to the living room, hands on her hips, and studied her mother. It had been like this almost every day for the last couple weeks it seemed. Mom would pick her up from day care and bring her home, then sit down on the couch and immediately fall asleep.

Some days, like today, her mom managed to make it to her bedroom and change out of her work clothes first, but other days, she'd sit down right when they got home and be asleep before she even took her shoes off. Today, she was barefoot, her legs propped up on the coffee table with ankles crossed, arms resting across her lap, and head tilted back. Every now and then, she'd emit a gentle snuffling sound, almost like a soft snore. She'd changed into a pair of soft cotton leggings and put on one of daddy's t-shirts before settling in for what was becoming her usual late afternoon nap.

Christine wasn't quite sure what to think about it. She was used to her mom always being full of energy. She always seemed to be doing _something_ – cooking, cleaning, shopping, working, reading, exercising. Seeing her mom crashed out on the couch day after day lately just didn't seem right. When she'd overheard her mom getting sick in the toilet again the other morning, she'd been pretty worried and tried to ask her dad about it.

"Is Mommy gonna die?"

"No pumpkin. She's okay. Her tummy is just a little upset this morning."

"She sure has been sick a lot of times lately."

"Yeah, but a few more weeks and it'll pass."

Unsure as to how he could know that, Christine took comfort from the fact that despite her daddy's usual tendency to be super protective of her mom, he didn't look too worried. Just the opposite in fact. He had that kind of dreamy, dopey smile on his face that he usually got when her mom said or did something that made him want to kiss her. Ugh. Christine had seen _that look_ followed by a kiss plenty of times before. It didn't make sense to her that her dad would be happy while her mom was feeling sick, but sometimes adults were weird that way.

Watching her sleeping mother now, Christine wished there was something she could do that would help her mom feel better. She thought about it real hard until an idea finally popped into her mind and she heard Auntie Angela's voice in her head saying "Sweetie, pedicures are like magic to a woman's soul. A good paint job on a woman's toes will always make her day seem better." Auntie Angela was wise about these kinds of things and Christine decided she'd surprise her mom and paint her mom's toenails for her. Decision made, she turned and skipped off down the hall to gather the nail polish from her mom's room.

She came back a few minutes later with two bottles of nail polish – a pink one and a red one. She couldn't decide which one to use and knew her mom liked them both, so she figured she'd paint her toes alternating colors . . . pink, then red, then pink, then red.

Anyone watching through the window would've seen the little girl focused very intently on her task as she leaned over her mother's feet, the tip of her tongue sticking out of the side of her mouth a sign of her total concentration. She made sure to cover each toenail completely, not too worried if she got a little off the nails and onto the toes as when she colored in her coloring books, her daddy always told her it was okay to go outside the lines. They were there just as a sort of guideline anyway he explained. Her mom always rolled her eyes at her dad when he made comments like that, but she didn't correct him so Christine figured she must agree. Her mom always corrected her dad when she didn't agree with him.

Standing back and looking proudly at her handiwork when she was all done, Christine was tempted to wake up her mom and show her. However, her daddy had made her promise the other day not to disturb her mommy when she was napping like this and Christine didn't want to get into trouble. She'd just wait for her mom to wake up and show her then.

Christine hopped up onto the couch and crawled over to snuggle against her mom's side and wait. She wanted to be there when her mother woke up. It wasn't long though before she found her own eyes feeling droopy and she shifted, crawling under her mother's arm so she could rest her head in her mother's lap.

When Booth walked in the door a little while later, he was greeted by the sight of his wife and daughter, snuggled together and both sleeping soundly on the couch. It was the kind of Norman Rockwell scene he had once despaired would never be his to enjoy and he didn't even try to resist the surge of affection he felt for both his ladies at the picture they made. Reaching for his cell phone in his pocket, he couldn't resist taking a couple quick snapshots to help preserve the moment.

He knew the pregnancy was making Bones tired by the end of the day, and she needed her rest, but he also knew she wouldn't sleep as well at night if she slept too long during her nap. And Christine? Late day naps like this always had an unpredictable effect on her sleep patterns. She could go right to bed and sleep through the night, or she might be up at 3 AM, wide awake and raring to go. He'd have to find a way to wear her out after dinner. Maybe he'd set up the sprinkler in the back yard and let her run through the water for a bit.

Approaching the couch, Booth braced himself against the armrest and leaned down to plant a soft kiss on his wife's lips. Feeling her start to rouse, he pulled back. "Time to wake up, sleeping beauty."

Brennan smiled softly and her eyes blinked open to find her husband's face just inches from hers. "Mmmm. That was nice. Again?" She reached a hand up and cupped the back of his neck, pulling him in for another tender kiss. This time when they broke apart, they both had the heat of desire in their eyes.

Brennan pouted up at him for pulling away. "I was enjoying that."

Booth just tilted his head down as he sat back on the coffee table, indicating the sleeping child between them that Brennan hadn't noticed quite yet.

"Oh." Brennan yawned. "What time is it anyway?"

"Only about 6:30. I thought we'd just do some take-out for dinner tonight, but wasn't sure what you were in the mood for." Booth reached over and gave Christine a gentle shake.

"Actually, I think I'm craving something spicy like the red curry tofu or maybe the crispy eggplant."

"Really?" Booth responded skeptically, looking at her with raised eyebrows while watching Christine sit up and rub her eyes.

Brennan knew exactly what he was thinking. At this particular stage in her pregnancy she was a little more gaseous than usual and spicy foods just exacerbated the issue. "It's what I'm craving," she explained with an unapologetic shrug of her shoulders. "Besides, they're normal bodily functions Booth. A typical adult produces between 1 and 4 pints of gas every day and passes gas 14 to 23 times daily. My current elevated levels of progesterone cause the muscles of my gastrointestinal tract to be more relaxed which slows down my digestion and creates more gas. Increased eructing and flatulence are common side effects of my condition."

Christine looked at Booth in confusion. "What's she talking about daddy?"

"Mommy's trying to explain why she burps and farts so much."

Predictably, the little girl erupted into giggles at the mention of the "b" and "f' words which seemed to universally amuse small children everywhere.

Brennan looked at her daughter in mock dismay. "Oh? You think that's funny do you? I'll give you a reason to giggle," she teased as she started to tickle the small wriggling child on her lap until they were both laughing and out of breath.

When they finally settled down again, Christine remembered her surprise. "Oh, Mommy. Look," she demanded, pointing down at Brennan's feet. "I painted your toenails for you so you'd feel better. Angela says pretty toes always make a woman feel better."

Booth and Brennan both looked down at her bare feet. It was, Brennan observed, the most hideous and poorly executed toenail paint job she'd ever seen. The paint was unevenly applied with areas of almost no paint next to globules that hadn't been smoothed out at all. Christine had managed to get almost as much paint on the skin surrounding her nails as she did the nails themselves. The alternating colors were a unique approach for her, except where Christine messed up and painted two adjacent nails with the same red polish before going back to alternating toes, red and pink. All in all, Brennan decided she absolutely loved it.

Gathering her daughter in a hug and kissing her on the top of her head, Brennan let her know she appreciated the surprise. "Wow, Christine. I can't recall ever having a paint job quite like this. It was a wonderful gesture and I feel better already. Thank you."

Seeing the smile on Booth's face when she glanced his way, she wondered if he was recalling the time when she'd painted his toenails a deep crimson red while he slept as a lark. Oh how she'd enjoyed her punishment when he woke up and discovered what she'd done.

Booth just shook his head as he stood up. "I'll go order dinner. C'mon pipsqueak. You're with me while I go pick it up." He leaned down and scooped Christine up, tossing her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes while she squirmed and giggled and went to make his call.


End file.
